1. So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.
2. Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation,
3. since you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4. Coming to Him, a living stone — rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God —
5. you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For it is contained in Scripture:Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in Himwill never be put to shame!
7. So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,The stone that the builders rejected —this One has become the cornerstone,
8. andA stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this.
9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darknessinto His marvelous light.
10. Once you were not a people,but now you are God’s people;you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11. Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.